When I Paint My Masterpiece

"When I Paint My Masterpiece" is a 1971 song written by Bob Dylan. It was first released by The Band, who covered the song on their album Cahoots. Dylan himself recorded the song in March 1971 for Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II, on which it is segued back-to-back with "Tomorrow is a Long Time". (An outtake of the song, from the same March sessions, was released in 2013 on The Bootleg Series Vol. 10: Another Self Portrait (1969–1971).)

Dylan and The Band performed the song together live, in the early hours of January 1, 1972, at a New Year's Eve concert by The Band; a recording was released as a bonus track on the 2001 CD reissue of The Band's live album Rock of Ages.

In popular culture

The Band's version of the song was featured in the 2009 film Observe and Report.

Dylan's recording was used over the ending of the 2002 film Comedian and over the closing credits of the 2013 film Tim's Vermeer.

Cover versions

"When I Paint My Masterpiece" was frequently performed by the Grateful Dead throughout their career; the song was sometimes added to setlists alongside several other Dylan songs. Though Dead Guitar/Vocalist Bob Weir sang lead on the song when it was played by the band, Garcia had played the song as early as 1972 with Merl Saunders and John Kahn, both of whom would become members of the Jerry Garcia Band.

Chris Whitley recorded a blues version of the song for his last album, Dislocation Blues, which was released with Jeff Lang in 2005.

Elliott Brood performed "When I Paint My Masterpiece" on CBC Radio 2's "Up Close" program,^[1] and include it in some of their concerts.

Tim O'Brien recorded a bluegrass/country version of the song on the album "Oh Boy! O'Boy" (1993, Sugar Hill) with Mark Schatz and Scott Nygaard.

Emmylou Harris recorded a version of the song for her album Portraits in 2008.

References

1. ↑ Elliott Brood on CBC Radio 2's Up Close